What is Anorexia

What is Anorexia

Self induced emotional eating disorder characterized by persistent loss of appetite is called anorexia. Excessive consciousness toward weight loss, counting calories and excessive exercises can lead to a severe emotional eating disorder called anorexia.

Some diagnosing signs and symptoms of anorexia are:
- Excessive consideration to become thinner and thinner.
- Misperception of body shape and weight.
- Fear of body weight gain and fat.

Persons suffering from anorexia do not feel the danger of denying food. Calories, food, weight, fat grams and weight management are the most important factors of a person’s life with anorexia.

What are the signs and symptoms of anorexia?
People who have anorexia love to live in secrecy so that no one can know about their condition. In this situation, it is very hard for doctors to properly diagnose them and treat them.
Some of the common symptoms of anorexia are:
• Dramatic weight loss.
• Excessive consciousness about figure and body image.
• Regular skipping of meals.
• Mostly eat selective foods, which are low in fat and calories.
• Good cook but try to avoid meal.
• Usually wear loose clothes to hide thinness.
• Strong exercise regimen.
• Skip social gatherings, especially dinner or lunch parties.
• In males decreased libido and in females irregular menstrual periods.

What are the types of anorexia?

Basically there are two types of anorexia.

Restricting Anorexia (Classic Anorexia) - Person with restricting anorexia eats very little and loses weight due to excessive exercise and self or induced starvation. They possess less calories to perform body functions.

Purging Anorexia or Binge-Eating – Person with binge eating will perform self induced vomiting, diuretics, enemas and misuse of laxatives. Person shows signs of both bulimia and anorexia. More than 50% of the persons having anorexia might also get into bulimia.

What are the effects of anorexia?

Physical effects of anorexia

Some of the physical effects of anorexia are:
• Decreased immunity
• Hair loss
• Less resistance for heat
• Sleeplessness
• Chronic dehydration, which can even cause kidney failure
• Weakness and Fatigue

In some rare cases you will notice the symptoms of low heart rate, low body temperature, heart trouble, low blood pressure, poor circulation, chronic anemia and even death.

Behavioral and Emotional effects of anorexia

During anorexia the following emotional and behavioral effects can occur:
• Depression
• Irritability
• Bad memory and difficulty in concentrating
• Isolation from friends and family
• Emotional regression
• Feelings of guilt
• In some severe cases one can search a solution in the form of alcohol and drugs to handle negative outlook

Anorexia Nervosa is a disease that one has to take very seriously. Often the symptoms show and become obvious for parents and doctors too late. This makes the treatment harder and in the worst case treatment will not work.